Rat Poison Analogy

[MartialArtist]

I was at a Celiac support group meeting last Wednesday and I shared in a casual conversation with a couple of people what I thought was kind of an extreme emotional reaction to this whole thing. Half laughing (at myself), I said that working in my kitchen, where other family members can and do eat and prepare foods made with wheat products, I feel like someone is bringing rat poison into my kitchen and that I'm having to be extra diligent in cleaning every surface and every tool before I do anything in there. They both nodded and agreed, basically saying that it really is something I have to take that seriously.

Is that an extreme over-exaggeration, a mild over-exaggeration, or a good way of approaching a non-gluten-free household kitchen to ensure that my food is ultimately truly gluten-free? If it's an exaggeration, I will continue to keep this analogy to myself and not bother my family members with my overreaction. But if it's really a reasonable analogy, I think I need to voice this.

Help would be appreciated.

[kenlove]

There are a lot of variables for each of us and on top it it we're all different. That analogy works for me but others my get squimish at it. I dont want anything with flour in my house.

cross contamination is a very serious issue for many of us while for others its not an issue at all.

ken

I was at a Celiac support group meeting last Wednesday and I shared in a casual conversation with a couple of people what I thought was kind of an extreme emotional reaction to this whole thing. Half laughing (at myself), I said that working in my kitchen, where other family members can and do eat and prepare foods made with wheat products, I feel like someone is bringing rat poison into my kitchen and that I'm having to be extra diligent in cleaning every surface and every tool before I do anything in there. They both nodded and agreed, basically saying that it really is something I have to take that seriously.

Is that an extreme over-exaggeration, a mild over-exaggeration, or a good way of approaching a non-gluten-free household kitchen to ensure that my food is ultimately truly gluten-free? If it's an exaggeration, I will continue to keep this analogy to myself and not bother my family members with my overreaction. But if it's really a reasonable analogy, I think I need to voice this.

Help would be appreciated.

[Jestgar]

It's how I feel. I don't even like touching wheat products, although I've never had a problem doing that.

[tarnalberry]

I think it's really a decent analogy (to a point). It breaks down in the effects of getting a lot of it (rat poison kills you now, gluten kills you later), but the basic premise that a very small amount can make you very sick is still true.

[K8ling]

I liken it to a virus, that seems to get through to people. Think of it like the flu...if it touches something with the flu on it, it is "infected".

[CeliacMom2008]

We use the rat poison analogy here. It helps people understand that a little does matter. Where it breaks down is that if you ate a tub of rat poison you'd be dead but a tub of gluten isn't going to kill you immediately. None the less, we use it and find it a very effective way of explaining it to people. Our dietician was the first place we heard it (she has Celiac as well). It's also been used at our support group meetings that way before. I'd say stick with it!

[sandsurfgirl]

Rat poison, a little bit of glass, toxins, whatever analogy makes sense to you. When you eat gluten as a celiac your body has an autoimmune reaction and destroys your intestine, whether it's a little bit or a lot. So... it's dangerous.

I have small kids, age 2 and 5. I had to make our house gluten free because they were glutening me constantly. I couldn't get better until I banished the crumbs. But... my kids are little like I said. Food flies everywhere when toddlers eat and they wipe it all over the place because you can't grab their hands fast enough. Then they would hug and kiss me with gluten faces before I could wipe them down.

I think that you need to impress upon your family the real and actual danger of gluten crumbs and residue. Get your own toaster and condiments. Label things gluten-free that must be gluten free for you. You have to be safe at home.

[kayo]

I like it! I don't think it's an overreaction at all. I guess you could gauge your audience and go from there. Rat poison, arsenic, and even e-coli paint a very clear picture.

I've used 'raw chicken' as an affective analogy, particularly when discussing cross contamination. Things like: You wouldn't plop a raw chicken on the counter and then prepare a meal before cleaning the surface right? Getting gluten everywhere is like rubbing raw chicken everywhere.

I've also compared the effects of gluten on us as being similar to how sugar affects diabetics. That one only works if the person understands diabetes.

[buffettbride]

I use rat poison quite a bit as an analaogy (although the virus one makes good sense, too). What this analogy helps to do is helps YOU explain to others so they really, really, really, really get that even the teeniest tinyest bit is bad. "Just a little" is WAY too much. Whenver people try to give me the "just a little" line of garbage, I ask them if they'd like "just a little" rat poison in their food. Then the FINALLY get the point (or shut up 'cause they are tired of me).

[ciavyn]

For the squeamish, I prefer the raw chicken example. Anyone who cooks anything has probably handled raw chicken (barring the vegetarians among us) and understands the importance of handling chicken very carefully and cleaning up afterwards. That is the way I view gluten. It can come into my house, but it stays in a separate container, and away from other foods. When making it, clean up after yourself with antibacterial cleaner.

[jerseyangel]

I use a couple of analogies. To explain the need for care during food prep in the kitchen, I use salmonella. I say that I wouldn't think of working with raw chicken and not clean up well afterwords and wash my hands before making them a salad.

For the trace glutening, I use cold and flu germs as an example. I say that just as you can pick up a virus on a doorknob and transfer microscopic germs--the same is true of the gluten molecule. And just as getting ill from a cold isn't the actual virus making you sick--it's your immune system's reaction to it, it's the same with gluten.

[farmwife67]

We use the rat poison analogy here. It helps people understand that a little does matter. Where it breaks down is that if you ate a tub of rat poison you'd be dead but a tub of gluten isn't going to kill you immediately. None the less, we use it and find it a very effective way of explaining it to people. Our dietician was the first place we heard it (she has Celiac as well). It's also been used at our support group meetings that way before. I'd say stick with it!

It may not kill you instantly but it does kill your villi in your intestine, just like rat poison would!